1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protective shoe covers for shielding shoes from scratches and abrasions. Specifically, the present invention is a flexible shoe protector having an upper member that extends over a front top portion of a shoe, a lower member extending below a front sole portion of the shoe and extending rearwardly toward the heel of the shoe, and an intermediate flexible portion connected between the upper member and the lower member. The intermediate flexible portion is capable of stretching to accommodate a variety of sizes and shapes of different shoes. A flexible strap member is attached to a rearward portion of the intermediate flexible portion so that the strap member is used to stretch about a rearward portion of the shoe above the heel, for securement of the shoe cover to the shoe. The flexible strap and the intermediate portion are made from a material having elastic qualities, such as Spandex.RTM.. A rubber portion is attached to the bottom of the lower member to provide traction when a wearer is wearing the shoe protector. Optional features include the addition of reflecting material or glow-in-the-dark material to the shoe protector, for increased visibility in darkness.
Although the shoe protector has many different uses and applications, one application for which the shoe protector is particularly suited is for motorcycle riders, who must change gears with their feet. Motorcycle riders, and particularly riders who wear expensive dress shoes, typically scuff their shoes in the normal course of operating their motorcycles, because of the requirement that they change gears with their feet. It would be desirable to provide a flexible shoe protector that will protect shoes while a wearer is operating a motorcycle or the like. Further, it would be desirable to provide a shoe protector that may be easily attached and removed, and which would fit a variety of different sizes and shapes of shoes. When the shoe protector is not in use, it may be folded up and stored in a small space, such as in a user's pocket or saddlebag attached a motorcycle.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
______________________________________ Crist, et al. 4,005,534 Alegria 4,069,599 Alegria D252,296 Roda 4,638,574 McArthur, Sr. et al. 4,780,970 Cornell D323,240 ______________________________________
The Crist patent discloses a shoe protection device having a hollow metal member having an exterior shape of a shoe tip and an interior chamber of like shape communicating with a rear opening in the member. Four strap receiving loops are secured to the outer surface of the tow opposite sides of the member, two loops on one side thereof, and two loops on the other side. The loops extend outward and are positioned adjacent the rear opening, lying in a common vertical plane disposed at right angles to the direction of elongation of the member. Elongated strap means are detachably securable at each end to a corresponding set of two loops, which are used to hold the member in place on a shoe.
In the Alegria patent (4,069,599), the device disclosed is a shoe protector used for protecting the toe end portion of shoes for a drummer playing a trap set. It is formed from a single sheet of leather and has a flat sole portion that is the same general shape as the sole of the drummer's shoe. It has a pair of sides and a toe panel extending up at right angles to the sole portion, and has a tongue extending from the toe panel. The forward parts of the sides are cut away from the sole portion, turned in behind the toe panel and attached to the latter. A first pair of straps extend over the tongue to hold it securely against the arch of the drummer's foot. A second pair of straps extends around the heel of the drummer's foot to hold the formed leather piece in place of the forward part of the shoe.
The other Alegria patent (D252,296) is a design patent which is directed to the same apparatus described in the first Alegria patent (4,069,599).
The Roda patent teaches a shoe protector made up of a hard plastic toe protector adapted to slip over the toe of a shoe and half sole attached to the toe protector. An instep strap is attached to the half sole to support the half sole on a shoe and a heel strap has its ends attached to the instep strap for holding the instep strap in position. The heel strap has an adjustable buckle. A metatarsal protector for use with the shoe is also disclosed. The primary purpose of this shoe protector is to protect the wearer against injuries to the toes.
The McArthur patent discloses a shoe protector for carpet installers and others whose shoe toes are subject to abrasion and chemical abuse. The protector cup includes a pair of superior stabilizers connected to the top of the protector cup and a pair of inferior stabilizers connected to the bottom of the protector cup. A superior and inferior stabilizer are each connected to a stabilizer ring which is in turn connected to a heel strap linking the two stabilizer rings. The stabilizer rings translate the rearward force of the heel strap into pulling forces on the superior and inferior stabilizers in order to allow the protector cup to be pulled not only rearwardly against the toe of the shoe, but also downward against the shoe toe top and upward against the shoe toe bottom for maximum gripping effect on the shoe.
The Cornell patent is a design patent for a shoe safety guard, as shown and described.